Whether or not we can regard Sept. 11 as history, I would like to raise two historical questions about the terrorist attacks of that horrific day. My goal is not to offer definitive answers but rather to invite a serious debate about whether Sept. 11 deserves the historical significance it has achieved.

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My first question: where does Sept. 11 rank in the grand sweep of American history as a threat to national security? By my calculations it does not make the top tier of the list, which requires the threat to pose a serious challenge to the survival of the American republic

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Here is my version of the top tier: the War for Independence, where defeat meant no United States of America; the War of 1812, when the national capital was burned to the ground; the Civil War, which threatened the survival of the Union; World War II, which represented a totalitarian threat to democracy and capitalism; the cold war, most specifically the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, which made nuclear annihilation a distinct possibility.

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Sept. 11 does not rise to that level of threat because, while it places lives and lifestyles at risk, it does not threaten the survival of the American republic, even though the terrorists would like us to believe so.

You can continue to read his drivel here. Notice he never mentions Mohamedans or jihad? Oh, that threat. But it is nowhere near the threat of Hitler and we have way, way overreacted: '.. It is completely understandable that those who lost loved ones on that date will carry emotional scars for the remainder of their lives. But it defies reason and experience to make Sept. 11 the defining influence on our foreign and domestic policy. History suggests that we have faced greater challenges and triumphed, and that overreaction is a greater danger than complacency.' Oh no, we have refused to be dhimmis! Is that what you want, Ellis. Us to submit to these 7th century clowns and their death cult?

Why are historians so ignorant of Islam's history? 9/11 was the 'big bang' to Americans, even though many seem to have that day fade in their mind.

He seems to miss the point. 9/11 was the milestone event when the West turned to look at a very old enemy in its face. The last time the West was threatened with collapse by the jihad was at the Gates of Vienna, 1683. Even so, five years later, our leaders struggle to understand that Islam is, at its core, a mandate to destroy all infidels then, and only then, will the world, a Muslim world, be at peace.

Prior to 9/11, the Mohamedans had only nicked the west, but 9/11 was a major wound. It didn't destroy America as Ellis seems to need, a cataclysmic event. He mixes events with wars and makes an unfair comparison. You can't compare the event of 9/11 to the Revolutionary War, 1812 War, Civil War, or WWII. Now you can compare the 'war on jihad' to these wars. Are we not in a struggle of survival with the Mohamedans? Yes we are. Oh, I know our leaders want to remain in denial. But ignorance too?

Ellis is like a John Esposito, a supreme Dhimwit lying to the Infidels, but he doesn't get as much money and praise from the Mohamedans as Esposito. Try harder Ellis. I am sure they will come to love you as they do all useful idiots. If Ellis would like to learn more about Islam, which I doubt, I recommend Andrew Bostom's book Legacy of Jihad. But I know he never would, Bostom is not a professor of history, and everyone knows you need to be an official professor of history or religion to be legitimate. Right? Right!

First, as President of the College, I strongly rebuke Professor Ellis for his lie about his military experience in his course entitled "The Vietnam War and American Culture" as well as with colleagues and others. Perpetuated over many years, his lie about himself clearly violates the ethics of our profession and the integrity we expect of all members of our community. Even though his fabrication appears to have been an aside in an otherwise responsible, intellectually challenging course that immersed students in a crucial chapter of U.S. history, it was a particularly egregious failing in a teacher of history. Misleading students is wrong and nothing can excuse it. Professor Ellis illegitimately appropriated an authority that was not his and abused his students' trust. His misrepresentation damaged collegial relations within the College and hurt the Mount Holyoke community and others outside it.

Second, Professor Ellis will be suspended for one year without pay. In addition, he has agreed to step down from his endowed chair until such time as the Trustees may wish to reinstate it. The year away should give him and the College time for reflection and repair. This sanction is consistent with our honor code for students and its emphasis on education, reflection, and ultimately restoration to an honorable place in our community. Professor Ellis has accepted the College's censure and sanctions. He has apologized to me personally and has expanded his earlier public apology. His statement will be posted, along with this letter, on the Mount Holyoke Web site.

6 comments:

Maybe if the esteemed professor had a friend or relative in one of those buildings or planes that day, maybe he would have a differend mindset. Even then, I doubt he would be changing his dhimm-wit tune.

The reference to "Legacy" reminded me of a quote I read somewhere, probably in a review of the book. After noting that Dr. Bostom was a MD, and not a Dr. of Islamic Studies, the writer asked something to this effect;

" Why have all the clearest, most incisive, and best studies of Islam come, not from the "experts", but from those outside the field?"

I was standing in the backgarden of my parents house with a realestate agent on the day of the 9/11 attack on that most famous of US cities.His mobile rang and it was his girlfriend from NYC calling to tell him what was happening.Our negotiation ended at that point and I went into the street outside.I saw a friend stopped in his works-van, he had on the radio. I went over to join him and we listened, stunned by the unfolding events.We both felt that the USA would respond with a nuclear attack somewhere, I had not felt that way since I was a little kid and Kennedy was sending the Fleet towards Cuba.Then my Dad must have experienced the same trepidation as I felt listening to the news that day.It wasn't the size of the attack, a pin-prick on a country as vast as the USA. It was the maliciousness of it's planning and execution.If Bush had nuked the qaba that day,I would not have shed a tear. That would have sorted it. Of course such action was stayed by the ramifications of Global politics.Next day the uk newspapers carried hundreds of photos of the dead.I pasted them in the back window of my car and drove slowly through the huge moslim part of my Town. I wanted to see their reaction.Very few were outside. The streets were deserted. I think they feared a backlash against them and their shops.The strange thing is this, I saw and overheard some exitable Pakistan kids a few days earlier and they were talking about "something big was going to happen" I am sure the buzz word had gone around the activists and they knew a punch was going to be thrown, but they didn't know what, only that it was going to be big.When I saw the pictures of the exploding fuel and the bellow of smoke and flame, I felt sure it took the shape of a Demonic face.Now, before you start thinking "heres another crazy" I will tell you, that I had a pal, an extremely brilliant mathematician who was able to calculate the positions of planets without tables (he also studied technical astrology and Ancient Egyptian Magical beliefs.)In conversation with him, he explained that when a sorceror evokes the the appearance of a Demonic force, he would use "complemetary elemnents and associations" to drive the appearance of the chosen spirit. In these rites, smoke,and flame were important elements that "otherworldly" powers would use to create an image that the human psyche could "visualise".OK, you think I am getting into "Poltergeist" territory. Well, I think that the creators of that film had done substantive research into these matters. It was a good film, no? So where is this leading?In tribal societies of ancient times, the Deities were evoked by the priesthood and given substance by ceremonial SACRIFICE.Where else today does ceremonial sacrifice take place?Beheadings in Iraq.Mecca at the festival of animal sacrice, Theo van Gogh, in an Amsterdam street,suicide bombers sacrifising themselves and their victims.Whenever LIFE is extinguished, especially violently, whenever those sacrifises are accompanied with fire and smoke, then the forces of evil are able to manifest themseves in visible form.On 9/11 the hatred of the Islamofacists was concentrated into the mass ritual sacrifise of humanlife in the twin towers, principally, this took place against the background of simmering hatred within the broader mahometan subconcious. This hatred and death gave life to the evil powers which were unleashed in those events. Take another look at the pictures of the exploding tower. I think you may see an image of a turbaned head with twisted hate in it's expressionOk, ok, so now you think I am totally nuts.Well the mahometans totally believe in black magic and devils. The "scholars" know the hierachy of demons (djiins,..Genies} etc.We forget that their religion was evolved and fixed at a period of Paganism, at a time when most of the former Roman teritories were Christian and had eventually rejected sacrifise. The pagan Gods were subsumed into mahometanism of which there is plenty of evidence. But the concepts of Demonics remain as a little explored part of mahometism.Bin-liner was no less of a sorceror than his ancestors.He chose the bull to be slaughtered (American economic dominance, repesented by twin-towers.He trained his "alter-boys" (the terrorists) and chose the weapons that would be used (the jets(like a knife in appearance)) and set the appointed hour (needs some research)of slaughter.When those lives were instantly extinguished, a huge rush of psychic energy reverberated around the world subconcious (sorry, you'll have to read Jung).If you have been in close proximity to a dieing person or animal, you will understand perhaps, that there is a "non-physical" energy that is released and may "hover" for some time before dissipation (ask a nurse) This is independant of your beliefs in Christian thought or Buddhist ideas etc. that specify what may happen at the moment of death.So to sum up my ramblings, 9/11 was planned and executed as a religious sacrifise, the slaughter of innocents. (Bible history is full of it) This makes it's perpetrators the willing alterboys of the highpriests that devised and planned it. (bin-liner and his pals)This shows to me, that primitive mohomsetism is the direct analogue of it's predecessor the pagan religions of macca. Fundamentally (a good word!) the charachteristics of that belief system have not changed.mahometanism is black magic with a white-frock.